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Thursday, January 3, 2013

Have some leftover eggnog from Christmas in your fridge? Forget about spiked drinks, make this cake. You didn't really want to start that January diet yet anyway. And you can't just throw it away, it's eggnog. Despite a few individual pieces, this cake comes together very quickly and easily. Don't skip the crumb topping - it gives it that NY-style coffee cake topping. I don't know about you, but I always fight for piece of coffee cake with the most crumb topping, it's my favorite part. The spiced rum glaze adds a bit of adult sophistication to this cake to take it to the next level. But if you are serving it to little ones, you can leave out the rum or substitute rum extract (at least I hear this is a viable option but not one I've tried myself).

This will make 2 regular loaf cakes or 4 mini cakes if you have the small loaf pans. I made two pans, one to take to a Christmas party with my in-laws and one for our wonderful neighbors across the street. You may have noticed the much improved pictures of this cake -- well my wonderful neighbor happens to be pretty good with her camera and sent me these fantastic shots. She does family pictures as well as promotional/product photography - check her out at Willow Tree Photography or visit her Facebook page. I'm going to have to figure out how to work my camera one of these days so I can step up my game on my own pictures.

For the cake, preheat oven to 325 degrees and spray 2 regular loaf pans or 4 mini loaf pans with baking spray or butter and flour.

In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes on medium speed. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated and then mix in yogurt. In a measuring cup, combine eggnog and vanilla extract. In another bowl, combine nutmeg, cinnamon, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk or sift to mix. Alternate additions of 1/3 of the flour mixture with 1/2 of the eggnog mixture, mixing until each addition is just incorporated, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Divide batter evenly among pans and set aside while you prepare the crumb topping.

For the topping, combine sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and cake flour in a mixing bowl. Pour in melted butter and stir with a fork, pastry cutter, or your hands until the mixture forms a crumbly topping. Evenly spread over prepared cake batter.

Baking will take 30-35 minutes for 4 mini loaves and about 40-45 minutes for 2 regular loaves, the cake is done when a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. If necessary cover with foil if the topping starts to brown before the cake is set.

Once cakes are removed from the oven, allow to cool fully before topping with the glaze. To make the glaze, whisk together eggnog, rum, and butter in a bowl. Slowly add powdered sugar, whisking until smooth. The glaze should be about the consistency of maple syrup when you pour it over the cakes.